A meditation course designed to help implement
the philosophy based on the book by Adrian Newington

In enabling the reader of this topic to gain a more complete understanding, it is important to have a good understanding of "the Sense of Self". Rather than entangle this discourse with extended definitions of the "sense of self," it is recommended that you consider reading the short discourse on "Defining the Sense of Self". This will be most helpful if you feel that the references to the "sense of self" on this page are unclear in your mind.

Table1: The levels of Self Identification.

Through the various stages of a person's human, social and spiritual development, the sense of WHO a person is (that is, the inner identification where self-fulfillment, and the recognition of self-worth emanate from), should progress to new meanings as the individual experiences life more completely. I purposefully use the word "should" to indicate that many people do not necessarily progress to a more refined view of their existence beyond a basic sense of self-identification aligned with the physical or mental levels.

From the table above, we can examine each level of being and see how the human psyche matures in life. Each level of existence re-defines and matures the sense of self through relative experiences, associations, comparisons and other qualifications. These can all serve us by ultimately allowing a revelation, that one day we can cast aside the need for external qualifications and rest in the knowledge that we exist because we exist. Such an attitude is devoid of comparisons and analogies, since we see ourselves as forever being complete. Our true self is a spiritual being and to paraphrase, "we are spiritual beings on physical journey".

Let us walk through each section of the table and briefly expand on its meaning.

Physical

From day 1 of human existence, an individual grows up in a 3-dimensional world, initially learning about spatial relationships and the conditions of environment,

Examples:

• The understanding of Up, Down, In, Out, including Distance.
• The sense of the physical body reaching out and touching something.
• Things that threaten physical safety and survival.
• A sense of what is physically pleasing and comforting.

These impressions are fundamental to the understanding that "I am a living being" because my body and its sensations validate my experience as a living entity.

In various stages of life, a person can derive a sense of personal power as well as feelings of fulfilment and competency from positive physical achievements like sports and athletics. On the other hand, a negative use of physical attributes like "Bullying" may also bring about a sense of personal power or self. However, to continue the use and cultivation of on'es personal power in this way will lead to problems, as one day such a person may encounter someone stronger and more assertive. Here, the person's personal power, or sense of self, would be taken away.